Easels are used for holding photographic paper in position when making enlargements. The paper is held by retainers which are constructed so that they do not shut off the light from any portion of the paper and thus make it possible to make enlargements with no border around the edges of the paper. Some easels have masks which cover the edges of the paper so that prints with borders can be made, if desired.
For professional use, the easels must be of rugged construction and made in such a way that the paper can be positioned and removed quickly and conveniently. It is also advantageous to have easels adjustable so that they can be used with photographic paper of different size, depending upon the size of the enlargement to be made.
This invention provides an easel having a wide range of adjustments with a minimum of manipulative steps. It has clamping adjustments for paper retainers which are made in such a way that the clamps cannot become disassembled if turned further than necessary in a direction to release them. The retainers can be adjusted with a single manually-operated knob for each retainer.
The construction provides for prints with no borders or prints which are masked to provide borders; and different sizes of masks for different size paper can be selectively connected with the easel with standardized fastenings for all sizes of masks.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.